6 Tips to Increase Website Conversion Rates

I wanted to talk today about website conversion rates and how to go about increasing them. It is one thing to drive customers to your site, but a whole other story when it comes to getting potential customers to stay on your site and purchase products. A conversion rate is the measure (usually a percentage of visitors) of these customers that buy items. Increasing your conversion rate for your website can be relatively simply. Here are some useful tips for doing just that:

Tip #1: Be User Friendly

Your visitors should be able to understand and use your website. This sounds really obvious but a lot of companies get this concept wrong. Your website should be well designed and easy to use and if it isn’t, your conversion rates will never increase. The harder your site is to navigate and use, the less potential customers will buy from your company. You also want to be sure your website is mobile friendly and can be used with various browsers, not only Internet Explorer.

Tip #2: Push My Buttons

The whole process of purchasing a product online should be effortless. If users cannot simply add an item to their shopping cart with one click, they will look and buy elsewhere. Be sure your button or link to purchase an item is easy to find, functioning and above the fold on the site. Having a button that says, “Add xxx to your Basket” in big bold letters is the best way to attract buyers and increase your conversion rates. It doesn’t have to be extra large or obnoxious, but it should be obvious and easy. Including an easy to find button when shopping can increase your sales by as much as 30%!

Tip #3: Information Overload

Asking for a ton of information from your potential customers is a big mistake. The user does not want to waste time giving information that isn’t necessary. Be sure to make them feel safe and only ask them to give pertinent data.

Tip #4: Give Them Options

While a customer is buying an item and adding it to their shopping cart, it is a good idea to show them other similar products that they might like. The same applies to a potential customer who is viewing a product. While this doesn’t mean they will buy the product, upselling and cross-selling are proven sales techniques that will increase your conversion rates over time.

Tip #5: How Am I Doing?

Another way of increasing website conversion rates is to add customer reviews and testimonials to your site. People love to see what others are saying about a product or company and reviews are a proven technique to increase sales. There are many companies that offer a boost to your reviews and credibility, such as FeedBackFair or CustomerSure. You can also use sites such as Usability Hub, which allows you to track people’s first impressions of your site.

Tip #6: Analyze, Analyze, Analyze

Google Analytics is one of the best tools out there for a business owner. There is so much data you can find out from this tool. It can help you to understand what is happening with your website and where it needs improvement. Bounce rates are the percentage of people who come to your site and leave without clicking anywhere else on the site. They are an important date point that you should be paying attention to. The lower the bounce rates are, the better. It means people are staying on your site and using it, instead of clicking off and visiting elsewhere.

Another important Google Analytics option to use is the conversion tool. You can use this to track specific events happening on your site, such as when someone fills out a sign-up form. You can then use this information to associate a value to that conversion. If visitors are filling out forms but not completing them, a good tool to use is ClickTale. This tracking tool lets you track when and where a customer does not complete a form. This is valuable information that you can be using to increase your conversion rates on your site. The form analytic software they provide can increase the completion rate of not only sign up forms, but also check-out pages and shopping carts.

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